Reminiscence

Catching up from a busy August and a weekend away, this review for Reminiscence will be on the short side a) because I honestly don't have a whole lot to say about the film and b) I want to avoid misspelling "Reminiscence" (dammit just did it again!) more than 10 times. 

Reminiscence comes from Lisa Joy as director, writer, and producer. If you don't know exactly who that is, then don't worry, you're not totally alone. She's co-creator of Westworld so in the realm of a science-fiction film such as this, we should see that as a benefit. 

If you're like me and watching Westworld mostly out of obligation at this point (despite the fact that Season 3 was better than whatever the f**k we got in Season 2), then I'm not sure her being attached to the show is as strong a selling point as advertisers would believe. If anything, it immediately worries me that I'm about to walk into a film of half-baked ideas and convoluted/hidden plot lines. 

Strangely, that isn't far off from the truth, but what's worse here is the fact that none of it is all that interesting. Sold in the trailers as a Inception-wannabe (which IMO is a way better selling point) the "You're going on a journey..." from Hugh Jackman's smooth voice brings back memories of "You're waiting for a train...". As a lover of original sci-fi stories - mainly because I think they can often make some of the most memorable and lasting films - it's ideas like Reminiscence that I'm less fond of: it's actually more along the lines of a detective film - with shades of noir - that just so happens to have sprinkles of science fiction. 

It all amounts to a film that, quite unfortunately and disappointingly, is dull. 

Probably the first thing I'll count against Reminiscence is that the actual "science" of its science-fiction isn't taken advantage of in the same way that dreams were with the aforementioned Nolan film. Perhaps the comparison is unfair, but if you're going to market it the way you did and then dive into the realm of memories (which are incredibly close to dreams or Memento for that matter...) then it's going to happen. Here, memories are simply memories. There's not much "looping" or trickery done with them outside of one semi-early "reveal" and by and large there was never a point where Reminiscence pulled the rug out from under me and had me whispering "Wow!". The creativity of this sci-fi is surface level, which would be fine if the other elements were up to snuff, but given that it felt like the main draw to the film, the science and uniqueness of it all feel kind of used up within 20 minutes. 

"You're waiting for a train..."
"I don't think this is that film..."

Beyond that, this is a very normal detective thriller with a cast that's probably too good for it. The ultimate tale of plot yarn unravels slowly and methodically - often utilizing memory replays to provide the background - and once it was all said and done, I was rarely surprised, even if there are a few well-earned reveals. A lot of this stems from the rushed and/or "off" love story between Nick (Jackman) and Mae (Ferguson). They've got some chemistry, but ultimately I'm not sure the film gives them enough room to breath to really achieve the emotional stakes it's looking for plus the fact that Nick becomes a total one-track-mind-basket-case once Mae goes missing. To nearly everyone's credit, including Westworld alum, Thandie Newton, the performances are all solid and aren't holding the movie back. Jackman brings his usual gravitas and charisma, while Ferguson is alluring as the mysterious Mae. 

There's a lot of Jackman
staring at things in this one

The script provides a lot of exposition which is honestly something that doesn't bother me as much as others. There's explanation for how the reminiscence works, what it's used for, the wars that filled recent decades, and how Miami is almost completely flooded in this day and age. These moments represent the film that I wish we would have gotten more of...was the reminiscence somehow tied to Nick's time in war? Are there elements of the technology we don't about which could have been a twist in the end? There's a lot of good ideas scattered around in this film, but then they come together at the center for a routine detective mystery that just feels hollow. Even more frustrating is that the actual film feels on the cusp of something great too...the original score has moments of brilliance, the cinematography gets some cool shots, the editing and action sequences have their moments, and even the special effects are there, but none of them push into a realm past "good".

Originally, I was disheartened to not be able to catch Reminiscence at my local theater. As the wedding approaches, my month of August is/was crazy busy and I had to take these where I could get them, knowing I'd have to skip some all together. I would have liked to support original science fiction in theaters, but it's clear to me that this just didn't have the word-of-mouth that would have propelled it for weekends to come. That's a shame because it's probably a false indicator that audiences aren't interested in original, sci-fi stories anymore. That's simply not true...audiences are interested in it if it's good sci-fi.

CONS

• The science of the science fiction just isn't all that interesting, nor does it feel like it's taken advantage of
• The detective noir the film is based around is fine, I guess, but neither it nor the sci-fi elements really go anywhere special
• A rushed love story that injures the rest of the film
• While other elements are "good" (in terms of technical prowess), nothing is ever "great"

PROS

• The world around these characters seems interesting and I was keen on learning more about the past and the technology
• Looks and sounds good more often than not. Some action highlights too
• Strong cast with Jackman as the lead, Ferguson as the love interest, and Newton as his best friend
• Despite not having a "wow!" ending, it also doesn't fall apart. I felt like all my questions were answered

Rath's Review Score | 6/10